Tikal

We got up at 5 am again (so much for sleeping in on this trip!) and jumped in the vans to Tikal. The ruins are inside a national park, so along with ruins, we were also looking at birds and monkeys and all sorts of other animals that would run past us.

The ruins were amazing and what was really great was that we were able to climb some of the pyramids! The first one we climbed was off by itself and we didn't know what to expect, but the view was great, even if the morning mist hadn't burned off yet. We sat at the top, eating our packed breakfasts and listening to the howler monkeys while enjoying the view.

The first temple had normally spaced and inclined stairs built along the side, the second temple we climbed was a bit more of a challenge (some of the group didn't come up). The stairs were more like a ladder, but once you figured out the rhythm, they could be done quickly.

The view from the top was definitely worth the climb. L was a bit scared about where we were standing to have our pictures taken, though - right on the very edge, with one foot on the part that starts to slope down, with no safety rails!

Our guide left us at the main plaza to explore by ourselves. We met back up with him around noon as the crowds that come in from the resorts in Belize were just arriving ... along with the heat of the day! On the drive back, L, M, P and I got our driver to stop at a grocery store so we could pick up some stuff for lunch - we ended up having a great meal of fresh fruit, yogurt (well, not me), chips, and guacamole beside the hotel pool. The rest of the afternoon was spent looking for a post office, swimming in the pool and not so hot hot tub.

At sunset, we took a boat to a tree house overlooking the island of Flores. Since it had clouded over there wasn't a sunset to watch, but the view was nice. We also walked a bit to find the monkeys that we could hear howling to each other.